Willie Cicci
William Cicci was a hitman and Soldato in the Corleone family and the right-hand man of Frank Pentangeli. Biography An employee of the Genco Pura Olive Oil Company since 1942, Willie Cicci was in reality a top enforcer and hitman for the Corleone family. He was a high-ranking soldier in the regime of Peter Clemenza. Role in the war Willie Cicci first achieved prominence in the family by helping to destroy one of the Tattaglia family's drug markets in Midtown, assisted by fellow enforcer on the rise, Aldo Trapani. He also prevented the Stracci family from taking back the Italia Warehouse, which had been won by the Corleones. Several key associates reported to him, including Lego Coalliere and the Don's son in law, Carlo Rizzi. Cicci was also one of the men hired by Clemenza for protecting Sonny Corleone during the war. In the course of the war, it was rumored that a traitor had arisen in the organisation and Cicci was for a long time suspected due to his slippery nature, particularly following the raid on West Port Warehouse, when the Cuneo Racket Boss had clearly been tipped off to an attack. The assassination of Don Cuneo .]] Cicci had become prominent in the family and was well trusted enough to be assigned with the job of assasinating Don Carmine Cuneo on the day of Michael Rizzi's baptism in 1955. Cicci assassinated Don Cuneo in the revolving doors at an hotel after he got a haircut and shave at the hotel's barber shop while waiting for Cuneo to appear. He was also one of the men assigned to eliminate Salvatore Tessio following his betrayal. Cicci drove Tessio to his death but did not observe the execution itself. The new regime and Frank Pentangeli at Lake Tahoe.]] When Michael Corleone moved to Nevada, Cicci remained in New York, working for Peter Clemenza and later Frank Pentangeli, acting as his personal bodyguard and right-hand man. He went with Pentangeli to Anthony Corleone's first communion in Lake Tahoe and expressed his suspicions about the sudden death of Clemenza, who had supposedly died of a heart attack. After the party, Cicci went with Pentangeli to a meeting with the Rosato Brothers who then tried to kill Pentangeli but were interrupted by the appearance of a police officer. This resulted in a shootout between the gangsters and police officers, in which Cicci appeared to be shot in the middle of the road; after he unsteadily stood and fired his revolver, he was then struck by a car. The Senate hearings Cicci recovered and testified against Michael at the Senate hearings on organised crime. Cicci states that Michael not only killed Virgil Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey in 1947, but began making plans for a mass slaughter of the other New York Dons as early as 1950. Damning as Cicci's testimony was, he is unable to directly implicate Michael in any murders. He never received orders directly from Vito, Sonny or Michael; he said there were always "buffers" between the button men and the Don. His boss, Frank Pentangeli, was brought in as a surprise witness to corroborate Cicci's testimony; as a capo there is no insulation between Michael and himself. However, Frank was intimidated into silence and the hearings fell apart. After the Mafia Hearings Cicci was sentenced to prison for admitting crimes he committed in the past. Whether he died in prison or was killed for breaking the omertà is unclear. Personality and traits A lank and lean retainer, Cicci's weaselly demeanour made other family members suspicious of him, particularly during the Five Families War in 1946. However, he was a loyal soldato for the most part, able to carry out orders swiftly and efficiently. He was known to frequent Molsenni's in Little Italy and was good friends with Tiger Molsenni, which did not help his drinking problem. Real life sources Willie Cicci could be based on Mafia turncoat Joe Valachi. Valachi was a soldier in the Genovese family who testified against his criminal associates and revealed much of the inner workings of the Mafia. Behind the scenes Willie Cicci was originally intended to be one of the major characters in The Godfather Part III, but was written out and replaced by Joey Zasa following the death of actor Joe Spinell. Cicci,Willie Cicci Cicci, Willie Cicci,Willie